Metal-clad tile



July 5, 1932. LEVY 1,865,771

' METAL GLAD TILE Filed Dec. 10. 1929 Patented July 5, 1932 more!) STATES sonomon LEVY, or nurnnnronn, new men, ASSIGNOB r nnaoonna me rm, on NEW YORK, 11. 2., A coaromnron or nmwm men-cam arm Parent oFFIcE Application filed December 10, 1am. Serial no. mess.

This invention relates to roofing materials and is concerned more particularly with roofing tiles which comprise a base of fibrous material and a coating of metal ap- 5 plied to such parts of the base as would nor mally be exposed when the tile is laid with others in overlapping courses. The invention embraces not only the novel tile, but also a method of making it and a method by which it may be laid and nailed in pace with a minimum of labor and nails.

The novel tile is made up of a base preferably of impregnated roofing felt,- or similar fibrous material such as fibre board, and a layer or coating or a weather-resistant metal such as copper, zinc, etc. afixed to one surface thereof, preferably by electroplating. This composite element may have the shape and size of a single tile or it may be made as a multiple unit similar in dimensions to a plurality of such tiles laid side by side in the usual manner. Preferably the new tile resembles the well-known Spanish tile in that .it is formed along one lateral edge with an arched portion extendin from front to rear, and with a portion of t e shape of half an arch on the other lateral edge. In the multiple unit, the body of the tile has a plurality 0 such arched portions, one alon eral edge and the others spaced t erefrom, the body terminating along its other lateral edge in the half-arch formation referred to. The tiles, whether single or multiple, are made of fiat blanks of base material on which the metal coating is applied to cover a portion of one surface thereof, either by electroplating or by affixing a metallic sheet thereto. Single tiles may be made individually or in a group, the latter method reducing the cost of handling. In making single tiles by this method, a blank of proper shape and size is cut from a sheet, and portions of the blank are removed along one longitudinal edge to define a plurality of individual tile blanks 45 which remain connected. The main blank one latthen receives its metal coating by electrodeposition, and the remaining pieces which connect the individual tile blanks are icut out, thus separating the smaller blanks. 5 These metal-clad blanks are then placed inapress and shaped to proper form. I

The base and. metal construction which I prefer to use in the tiles is the some vas that set forth and described in my co-pendin'g ap plication Serial No. 349,079, filed March 22, 1929. The construction there disclosed includes a base of impregnated felt or thelike, having a coating of asphalt on one surface in which crushed mineral or grit is embedded; a coating of metal being applied to they other surface. When this material is used in making the new tile, the asphalt grit coating on the under surface of the tile adds strength and rigidity thereto, and also protects the felt. The smooth metal coating protects the normally exposed upper surface of the tile and because of its smoothness and uniform thickness, it may be bent and shaped in, the manner required for tile formation without injury.

The new tiles are laid in overlapping courses with the arch of each tile in a course overlying the half-arch of the adjacent tile in that course. .Each tile is so laid thatit overlaps tiles in two lower courses and two nails are driven through each tile to hold it in position. Une of these nails is driven through the forward end of thehalf-arch portion of the tile and into the roof batten before the adjacent tile of the same course is laid with the arch overlapping the halfarch. This nail passes through portions of the two tiles beneath and it also secures in place a clip which serves to hold down the edge of the arch of the adjacent tile when the latter is placed in position. I The other nail for the tile is driven through the arch portion thereof close to the rear edge of the metal coating on the tile. This nail passes through two tiles and into the batten, and to the tile of the next higher course is in position the head of the nail is covby be forward end of that tile. By mailing arrangement each tile is securely in sition and each nail serves to hold 2E w 'l'rty of tiles in place. Only a small of nails is required for covering a nmf with these tiles according to the methmall described, and the labor charge for nail- ?mirs relatively low.

For a better understanding of the invenreference may be had to the accompadrawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a single tile in prespective;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a multiple blank for producing a plurality of single tiles;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through a press- 7 device for producing a single tile;

' 11g. 4 is an end view at the edge of a roof showing the manner in which the tiles me'laid;

5 is a fragmentary perspective view of :a portion of a roof laid with the tiles;

F 6 is a plan view illustrating the nail- Fig. 7 is a plan view of a multiple tile, and

8 is an end view of a multiple tile. A sin letile unit is illustrated in Fig. 1, audit Wlll be seen to consist of a base 10 prefma made of asphalt impregnated roofing felt with a coating 11 of a weather-resistant me-Ital covering that portion of the base which would normally be exposed in ordinary use. The base is provided on its under surface a coating of asphalt and a layer of terushed mineralmaterial embedded therein. the upper surface the metal is applied preferably by electrodeposition. In the embodiment illustrated, the metal covers apximately one-half the surface of the base. or .example, the tile may be 16" long from front to rear, in which case the metal portion is :8" long from front to rear. This tile is provided along one lateral edge with an arch a; portion 12, the other edge of the tile terminat- F in a half-arch 13. n making these tiles, a blank such as that drown at 14 (Fig. 2) may be used. This blank is generally rectangular with its width equal to the length of a tile from front to rear. This blank, cut from a sheet of base material, is notched, as indicated at 15, to define three tabs 16 each of which is approximately 11 wide when tiles 16" long are made. This blank is coated on its smooth surface with electro-conductive powder and thereafter receives a coating of metal electrolytically, the metal coating extending back to the median line 17. The metal covers not only :the smooth Surface of the blaank but also the e ges. The slots or cut-outs extend rearwardly beyond the median line. After the blank has received the plating of metal, the individual elements are severed therefrom by removal of the portions 18 which form extensions of the slots.

The tile is completed by being placed in a press consisting of upper and lower dies 19 and 20, respectively, these dies having the appropriate shape to give the tile its final form. The blank 21 is placed between the dies and the dies forced together in the usual manner. The blank is placed in the press with its metalclad surface uppermost so that the .metal covers the outer surface of the arch and halfarch, while the grit covers the under surface. It has been found that there is no difiiculty in shaping a metal-clad blank without injury to the metal where the metal is plated on a smooth surface. The layer of grit is desirable not only to protect the under surface of the tile but also to give it the desired weight and stiffness, and since the grit is on the under surface of the arched portions, the action of the dies tends to force the grit particles and asphalt coating together and does not produce cracks therein.

The tile of this invention may be made in the multiple unit form illustrated at- 22 (Fig. 7 The multiple tile has the dimensions of a plurality of individual tiles laid'side by side in the normal manner, the multiple unit having an arch 23 along one lateral edge, a half-arch 24 along the other lateral edge, and other arches 23a formed in its body at the proper spacing.

The tiles are laid on the roof over properly spaced battens 25. Before the first course 26 is laid at the eaves, a course of half-tiles 26 are placed in position, the half-tiles having the same general shape as the regular tiles but being only half as long from front to rear. Over the course of half-tiles, the first course of ordinary tiles is laid, each tile being placed so that its arch overlies one batten and its half-arch the adjacent batten. The arch of each tile overlies the half-arch of the adjacent tile. As each tile of the first course is laid, a nail is driven through its half-arch portion near the forward exposed edge, this nail securing in position a clip 28 which may be a small stri of metal such as copper. This strip is su ciently long so that when the adjacent tile is laid with its arch 29 overlying the half-arch of the first tile, the clip projects out beyond the edge of the arch and its end ma be bent back to engage and hold the edge of t e overlying tile in position.

The tiles of the course are laid successively in the manner described and each tile is thus held in place by a nail which passes through the half-arch portion at the forward end and,

also by the clip held by the nail in the adjacent tile. After the first course is completed,

the tiles of the second course 30 are placed in position in such manner that each tile overlies the rear edge of the metal coating of the tiles of the first course. In laying tiles of 16" length with a metal coating 8" long, a tile of the second course 30 will preferably overlie the tile 26 of the first course to an extent such that the exposed portion of the metal of the tile 26 is 7 long from the front ends of the tile to the rear edge of the exposed area.

After the tiles of the second course are laid in position, the tiles 31 of the third course are laid. Each tile of the third course overlaps a tile of both the first and second courses and with the dimensions and exposure specified, the extent to which tile 31 overlaps tile 26 is 2" and is known as head-lap.

As soon as each tile is laid, a nail is driven through its arch portion through the metal coating at a point near the rear edge of the coating. For the tile 31 (Fig. 6) such a nail is indicated at 32 and similar nails for the tiles 30 and 26 are indicated at 32' and 32", respectively. The nail 32 for tile 31 passes through tile 31 and through the rear end of tile 36' and each nail is driven through the tile in such position as to be overlain by the forward edge of the tile or the next higher course.

Each tile is thus held rigidly in position by a plurality of nails. Two nails are used for each tile, one, thenail 27, through thehalfarch portion, and the other, the nail 32, through the arch but the nail 27 for each tile passes through two underlying tiles, while the nail 32 for each tile passes through the tile itself and one underlying tile. Consequently, the tile 30, for example, is secured in position by its nails 27 and 82', by the nail 27 hi tile 31, the nail 32 of tile 31, and by the nail 27 of a tile of the course (not shown) which overlies the tile 31. Accordingly, each tile is held securely in place and it cannot be lifted by the wind. The arch and half-arch formation stifien the tiles to a substantial extent so that the rigidity of the tiles together with the manner in which they are laid prevents their exposed ends from curling.

I have found that when the tiles are made by applying a. coating of asphalt and grit to the under surface of the felt and a smooth coating of metal on the upper surface thereof, the pressing operations necessary to shape the fiat blanks to tile form can be readily carried on and do not result in cracking of the asphalt coating, nor the felt or metal. Since the coating with the grit-is on the concave surface of the arch and half-arch portions, the pressing operations tend to crowd the particles of grit together and there is no likelihood of cracks appearing in the asphalt and any danger of cracking is further avoided by pressing the tiles to form while the base is warm. The metal employed is preferably copper and this metal is in the form of a relatively thin film. The cop er is quite malleable and in a film of the thic ess employed, which may be about .003 the metal may be shaped in the forming operation, the metal coating extends around the K edges of the tiles so that all surfaces thereof are fully protected.

lVhat l claim is:

1. A tiled rooi comprising plurality or" in overlapping courses, Qiiilli I a course overlapping tiles of two preceo and the arch portion or" each the half-arch portion of adjacecourse, a nail near the forward e d half-arch portion of each tile securin tile and two underlying tiles to the roof structure, and a second nail in the arch portion of each tile substantially .ends of the tile and overlain by a tile or the next higher course, said nail penetratig the tile into which it is driven and a tile there under and entering the rooi structure.

2. A roof comprising a plurality of tiles each having a coating of metal over its nor mally exposed surface and extending slightly beyond the exposure, each tile also having an arch portion and a half-arch portion, the tiles being laid with others in overlapping courses with the tiles in one course overlapping the tiles of two lower courses and the arch por tion of each tile overlying the half-arch the adjacent tile in its course, a nail through each tile in the halt-arch portion thereoi and into the roof structure, and a nail through the arch portion of each tile near the rear edge of the metal coating and in position to be overlain by the forward edge of the tile in the next higher course.

3. A roof comprising a plurality oi tiles, each having a coating of metal over its normally exposed surface and extending slightly beyond the exposure, each tile having an arch portion and a half-arch portion, the tiles bemg laid with others in overlapping courses with the tiles in one course overlapping the portions laid tiles of two lower courses and the arch portion of each tile overlying the half-arch of the adjacent tile in its course, and means secured to the half-arch portion or" each tile near the forward end thereof and engaging the overlying arch of the adjacent tile and serving to hold this portion of theoverlying tile agiiinst lifting.

' 4. root comprising a plurality of tiles,

each having a coating of metal over its normally exposed surface and extending slightly beyond the exposure, each tile having an arch portion and a half-arch portion, the tiles being laid with others in overlapping courses with the tiles in one course overlapping the tiles of two lower courses and the arch rtion of each tile overlying the half-arch o the adjacent tile in its course, and a clip mounted on the half-arch portion of each tile near the forward end thereof and secured in place by a nail extending through saidhalf-arch por-- tion and through the underlying tiles and into the roof structure, said clip having :1

'ortion engaging the arch portion of the ad acent tile and preventing said arch portion from being lifted.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

SOLOMON LEVY. 

